This invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the air-exchange, and air pressure, and for detecting the airtightness, in air-conditioned space, which apparatus is able to be integrated with an air-conditioner and, through controlling the ON-OFF statuses of several ducts, vents and fans of the air-conditioner, to achieve good air-circulation within the interior, desired air-exchange, precise adjustment of pressure difference between the interior and the exterior, and control of some specific atmospheric modes. This apparatus comprises a microprocessor controller to control the operations of the above mentioned mechanisms so as to provide required in pressure condition to the interior. It also detects the airtightness of the interior by monitoring the rate of change of pressure difference between interior and exterior, and triggers a warning signal while detecting an abnormal airtightness (excessive leakage) in order to remind the user to take actions to avoid unnecessary energy waste.
Some annoying situations often exist in a conventional living space such as a dusty room, or a room filled with air that has infiltrated from fissures around doors or windows etc. and which is polluted or has excessive with improper humidity and temperature. These certainly damage the quality of living and are harmful to human health. Since airflow occurs travels from a space of higher pressure to a space of lower pressure, therefore providing a device that keeps the interior air pressure higher than that of the exterior will easily avoid these annoying situations and provide users a clean and healthy environment. Yet to some specific spaces such as a hospital, in order to prevent germs or virus dissipating from any fissure through airflow to an exterior space, a proper negative pressure at the interior (the interior air pressure is lower than that at the exterior) is required.
Furthermore, appropriate pressure variation inspires one's spirit and health. For example, a continuous air pressure modulation, in which repeatedly the air pressure increases quickly and is reduced slowly, provides an environment to raise one's spirity. A continuous air pressure modulation, that has frequent quick pressure reduction and slow pressure rise, makes insects in the interior feel uncomfortable and encourage them to escape from the interior. A conventional air conditioning system does not provide an indoor pressure control function, nor generate different atmospheric modes through the modulation of interior air pressure.
In an air-conditioned room, in which the polluted interior air (such as air having a high density of carbon dioxide etc.) shall be removed at proper time and fresh air is introduced from the exterior, this is called air-exchange. Though a conventional window type air-conditioner provides a manual air-exchange gateflap to provide air-convection between interior and exterior, the quantity and direction of convected air changes according to the pressure conditions of interior and exterior. Therefore, the quantity of air-exchange can not be modulated, nor can the direction of air lead-in or air exhaust be controlled. Thus, the conventional air-conditioner could exhaust a clean interior air and suck some unclean exterior air in. Therefore, in practice it can not achieve an effective air-exchange. And a separate type conventional air-conditioner provides no air vent; thus, no air-exchange is possible.
Airtightness of a general purpose building is limited due to the fissures around doors, windows, walls etc. and since sometimes even the doors or windows are left due to the neglect of users. In an air-conditioned environment with the above mentioned conditions, conditioned air will leak through the fissures or openings. A conventional air-conditioner is not equipped with any means to measure, and thereby ascertain, the airtightness, or a device to warn of leakage to someone so that proper actions may be taken to stop an abnormal loss.
The present invention accordingly, in order to improve the efficiency of air-conditioning and protect human health, provides an apparatus able to control air-exchange and air pressure of an conditioned space, also able to detect and warn of airtightness in that space. To a space having a proper airtightness, the present invention is able to provide required pressure modulation and air-exchange. While an air-conditioned space is without a proper airtightness, the present invention triggers a warning signal to remind users of the space to check the airtightness so as not to waste energy. That is, a main object of this invention is to provide an air-exchange and pressure controlling apparatus able to provide a comfortable and effective air-conditioned space.
The other objects and effects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings.